


Late Nights

by aoitoakai



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Host AU, M/M, i'll update tags as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-26
Updated: 2016-09-19
Packaged: 2017-11-26 23:20:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/655492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aoitoakai/pseuds/aoitoakai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kagami has started working in a host club and has started to gain attention from both females… and one Aomine Daiki.</p>
<p>[NOTE] I know it's been more than 2 years since I updated, and that's a ridiculous amount of time, but I don't want to leave this unfinished. I'm going to try to finish it this year (have to push it to 2017!), if possible. Thank you to all of you who still care about this story and left me comments/kudos! I really appreciate it. QoQ</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> Mostly inspired by this: http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=29476145

Kagami squinted at the clock under the room’s dim lighting. Ten minutes til two. Sighing, he ran a hand through his styled hair, a simple action that was enough to make the women surrounding him swoon. 

Business had been increasing of late no doubt thanks to his arrival. However, it was beginning to tire the new employee out. There was nothing wrong with being showered with attention and praise. It just wasn't... from his preferred gender. Not that he would ever let any of his customers know that of course.

Just a few days ago he was confident that this personal detail would prove that he wasn't host material at all, but after working at the Vanishing Angel's Host Club, he quickly changed his mind.

After signing his contract, he was forced into a custom uniform and given a quick lecture about his new position. Kagami’s work attire consisted of a deep blue collared shirt worn underneath a buttoned dark gray suit (the staff insisted that he keep the top of his shirt unbuttoned for “extra points”). In addition to this, he had his keepsake he had received from one of his close friends in the form of a ring chained around his neck. He was already naturally good looking and possessed well sculpted muscles. The staff just needed to give him a little styling and voila! He could probably pass as a movie star.

This was where he had his revelation. Just because he wasn't attracted to them, didn't mean that they weren't attracted to _him_. Surprisingly, his physical appearance wasn’t the only appeal he had. His gruff yet caring personality along with the fact that he radiated an aura of innocence was successful in piercing hundreds of hearts resulting in a steady flow of new and returning customers. An angel in tiger clothing is what they would all refer to him as, which in turn lead to the creation of his stage name: Tora-chan. Of course, Kagami was more than unhappy with the rather cutesy unimaginative nickname, but, it became too popular for him to refuse. It’s better than using his real name and end up having throngs of crazed fans stalk his apartment.

Despite whatever complaints he had about the job, he couldn’t deny that it wasn’t too difficult and that the pay was pretty decent. All he had to do was chat, smile, maybe send a wink or two every once in awhile, and he was set.

"Excuse me."

Everyone who was within earshot, including Kagami, gave a startled shriek as they stared into emotionless light blue eyes. 

"Dammit, Kuroko! Give us some warning if you've been standing there!" Kagami put a hand over his heart in an attempt to calm his pulse.

"I’m sorry." He gave a small apologetic bow. "But our establishment will be closing for the night, so I'm afraid that I must ask our guests to leave before the hour. Thank you for your patronage, and we earnestly hope to see you again." He bowed once more and held out their jackets.

After hearing a chorus of sighing and pouting, the crowd of females, along with the smell of perfume, eventually disappeared for the night. A good amount of the customers frequented the club regularly and knew better than to ask the hosts for “after hours service”. As the name suggests, the angels that accompany them during the night hours, vanish during the day. This was one of the many strict rules handed down to them by Aida Riko, the club’s owner. She was a clever, yet terrifying woman. No one ever dared to oppose her word lest they wished for a slow and painful death.

Kagami sighed once more and sank deeper into the sofa, appreciating the silence that now echoed throughout the room. Ironically, the club’s main colors consisted of deep shades of red and black in place of lighter hues. Riko simply thought that the color scheme fit the employee’s personalities better. When asked the reason why, she replied with an evil smile... and that was the end of that conversation.

He watched as the other workers began to shuffle about, clearing away empty wine glasses and dishes under Hyuuga’s supervision, who acted as the manager as well as a senior host. Thankfully, he hadn’t noticed that Kagami was slacking off at the moment. He’ll just have to deal with his fury later.

The redhead’s gaze shifted over to Kuroko as he changed the sign out front to indicate that they were closed. He had been hired not too long before Kagami, and yet, he carried a sense of professionalism with him. Almost as if he had been in this line of work for a long time.

Kuroko's job, on the surface anyway, was to be the club's doorman. His stomach jabs were otherworldly, which was useful in keeping the riff-raff out. What he truly excelled at, however, was being a talent scouter. In fact, it had been he who had discovered Kagami and convinced him to join them. 

Through the glass doors, Kagami saw a man with his arms slung lazily around two busty, yet beautiful women approach Kuroko and strike up a conversation. Both of them seemed to be familiar with one another, judging by how the taller man was laughing and patting Kuroko’s shoulder.

Even from a distance, it was obvious that the stranger was unbelievably attractive. Dressed in an unbuttoned black suit, he had a crimson silk shirt peeking out from underneath with a few buttons undone, revealing his toned chest. Under a shock of dark blue hair, his perfectly angled features were accompanied with pearly white teeth that were further accented by the rich color of his dark skin. However, there no doubt that his best attributes were his fierce, sapphire jewels of eyes. 

Kagami sat upright just in time to see the stranger lock eyes with him and smirk. He was immediately attracted to and yet loathed that arrogant expression. For something so simple to make his blood boil like this... It was a strange feeling indeed.

Never breaking eye-contact, the blue haired man exchanged a few quick words with Kuroko and the women. Whatever he said caused Kuroko to nod and the females to sulk away while muttering darkly to one another. The stranger then proceeded to saunter towards the club, or more specifically, towards Kagami. When he finally reached him, he simply stared down at Kagami, blue orbs traveling up and down the other’s body.

“Is there something that you want, or are you just going to stare at me all day?” Kagami barked as felt his cheeks heat up. He was literally being looked down on, and he didn’t even know the guy’s name.

“Hmph. So you’re the new hire, eh?” His eyes narrowed. “How disappointing. When Tetsu told me that he had found somebody amazing that might be able to rival me, I wasn’t expecting... this.” He waved his hand dismissively at the redhead. “What a joke.”

 _Tetsu...? Ah. He’s talking about Kuroko... What the hell, first name basis? And what the hell is he trying to say?!_ Kagami sprung up from the couch and directed the nastiest glare that he could to his assailant’s smug face. “Who the hell do you think you are?!”

Unfortunately, before he could receive a reply, his outburst attracted Hyuuga’s attention. The manager was about to rip Kagami a new one when he noticed the extra presence in the room. “Hah? Aomine? What the hell are you doing here?”

“I’m just here to see if your new employee was up to standards... And it seems he needs a lot more work before he can reach my level.” He laughed while Kagami gave him a death glare.

Hyuuga shot Aomine a wary look before ignoring him and turning his attention back to Kagami. “Hey, you’re the only one left. All of the others have already cleaned up and headed home through the back entrance. Hurry up, dumbass.” The manager was smiling pleasantly.

 _There’s the danger sign._ “I-I understand!” Kagami dove to the nearby table and started collecting trash.

“And you! The club is closed, so get out unless you have real business here.” Hyuuga waved an impatient finger at Aomine before stomping off towards the locker room.

Aomine’s only response was to stick his pinkie in his ear in disinterest. Glancing back to the redhead who was now busily cleaning his workstation, he pulled a thick card from his pocket and flicked it in his direction. Sensing the object, Kagami caught it with ease and realized that it was the bastard’s business card. “... What the hell do you want me to do with this?”

“Get back to me when you actually become someone who could challenge me. You know where to find me now.” He gave one final smirk before he strolled off into the darkness.

 _I don’t have any idea what this guy expects from me. Challenge? Rival? How?! In what frickin’ way?!_ Irritated, Kagami flipped the card in his hands. On the back there was his contact information, while the front contained his full name. It read: **Aomine Daiki. Ace of the Shining Devil’s Host Club.**

 _... Ace? Wait, he’s a host too?! What kind of name is Shining Devil? ... Is this what he meant by challenge? Ugh. Of course, I finally find someone who looks like he would be my type... And he ends up having a personality like that. Of. Course._ Kagami rolled his eyes. This was just too much information for him to take in at the moment. He neatly tucked the card away into his pants pocket before quickly finishing tidying up and finally heading home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the end, I couldn’t think of better club names so I apologize for the cheesy-ness.  
> For those who don't know, Tora means Tiger in japanese. Just another non-original item to add to the list. xD


	2. Confrontations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope you still find the story interesting.  
> I'm finding it difficult to keep them in character so I'm not sure how well I'm doing. I hope the ending of this chapter is okay. o.o

Kagami decided to head into work early. He had a mountain of questions regarding that migraine inducing event from the night before, and he knew just who to bother. That ever mysterious doorman.

Kuroko, for whatever reason, enjoyed setting things up before the owner even had a chance to show her face. Not without her approval of course. Aida trusts him enough to let him handle her keys while she attends to meetings to promote the club. As a result, he was always the first to show up and always the last to leave.

When Kagami arrived, the doors had already been opened, but he didn’t see the faithful worker anywhere. Although, it was obvious that he had already begun his nightly routine. The wine bottles had already been dispensed to each host’s station, and the tables had been polished until they were sparkling. After scanning his surroundings and admiring the Kuroko’s handiwork for a few minutes, he realized that he hadn’t checked the locker room yet.

Entering the already lit room, he was once again greeted with silence. _He must have stepped out for a bit to throw some garbage away, yeah. That’s all._ Nodding in agreement with himself, Kagami opened his locker and peeled off his jacket. As he was about to toss it into his locker, he spotted a halo of light blue to his left. Yelping in surprise, he involuntarily slammed his back into the nearby wall.

Unfazed, the smaller man gave Kagami a slight nod and continued to dress. He was also outfitted in a black suit along with a silk shirt that matched his hair. Unlike the hosts however, he preferred keeping his shirt completely buttoned. “Good evening, Kagami-kun. You’re here much sooner than expected.”

“Where the heck did you just come from?!” The startled host had his hand over his heart again. _How did I miss him again?! In an empty room no less!_

“I’ve been here since your arrival.”

“... Yeah, you really need to stop doing that.” Kagami took a deep breath, and rubbed his back. If he doesn’t die from alcohol poisoning one day, this phantom’s constant magical appearances will. “Uh... A-anyway... About yesterday... Who the hell was that guy?” He stripped off his plain, black T-shirt and exchanged it for his silk collar shirt.

Kuroko had been in the process of straightening his black tie. “Hmm? Would you be referring to Aomine-kun?”

“Yeah, Assface... Assmine... Ahomine. Whatever.” The redhead was actually pretty proud of his creativeness and made a mental note to use those nicknames in the near future. “Is he an old friend of yours? He was spewing all this nonsense about being a rival... Of what...?” 

“Hmm, he was most likely talking about a charm competition. Aomine-kun and I used to work for the same club, along with four others. When it disbanded last year, we went our separate ways.... He was always looking for someone to rival him in the business...” Kuroko’s eyes were distant for a moment before flickering back to his usual blank expression. “Aomine-kun claims that the other hosts were unnecessary. He really believes that the worth of a club revolves around him, and him alone.”

“Oh, I see...” Sensing a slight tone of disapproval in Kuroko’s voice, Kagami decided that it would be best not to probe further on that subject. While he smoothed out the wrinkles in his suit pants, he felt the rectangular outline of an object in his pocket. Confused, he fished out the business card that he had completely forgotten that he had received. “Oh yeah! His card says that he’s some “ace” host too... At some ridiculous sounding place. What’s up with that?” He gave a sour expression.

“His habit of calling himself an ace hasn’t quite died I see.” The pale blue haired man gave a rare chuckle. “... Let’s just call that a quirk of his, if you will.” He pulled on his thin, leather gloves and gave himself a quick check in the mirror. Everything seemed to be in order. “Well, if you’ll excuse me I have to do a few preparations before we officially open our doors.”

Right before the redhead’s eyes, Kuroko’s presence faded from the room. How the little guy could blend into a room so well to the point of disappearing was well beyond Kagami’s understanding. Replacing the card in his pocket, he quickly finished dressing, and headed out to prepare his station.

The night proceeded uneventfully. Everyone had enthusiastically attended to their customers like usual, in their own ways. Kiyoshi with his carefree smile, Izuki with his terrible puns (that were actually popular with a few ladies, go figure), Hyuuga with his dependable advice, Mitobe and his impressive listening skills, and Koga’s eccentric personality. Kagami did manage to get designated by a few new faces, in addition to his regulars, but that was all. No drastic change.

It wasn’t until closing time that Kagami recognized a familiar, unwanted face entering the club. There were different women accompanying him tonight, although they didn’t differ much in physique from the previous ones. Aomine greeted him with his trademark arrogant smile. “Yo, _Tora-chan._ ”

“Don’t call me that! Why the hell are you walking in like you own the place?” Glaring, Kagami put down the wine bottle he was about to dispose of. “Weren’t you the one who told me not to see you until I got to your level, or something stupid like that?”

“Heh, yeah... I suppose I did say that. But as I thought...” He took one of the women’s chins and kissed her roughly on the lips before continuing. “Waiting isn’t really my style. If I want something, I’ll just take it.”

Of all the--! Kagami couldn’t help his face from flushing and cast his eyes away during the exchange. “W-Where do you think you people are, a-a... make-out point or something?!” Smooth, real smooth. He should really work on stepping up his sarcasm. “What exactly do you want from me then?!”

Aomine, who had secretly been watching for the other’s reaction, narrowed his eyes in amusement. “My harem’s better than anyone else’s, so I’ve decided that it would be easier for you to realize your insignificance if you visited my club tomorrow. Your old-fashioned tactics won’t get you anywhere at this rate.” 

“Old-fashioned...? And who uses the word harem so openly anyways?” Kagami scoffed.

Aomine simply widened his grin and, when he was sure that he had Kagami’s full attention again, grabbed hold of the other beauty, crashing their lips together in the process. This kiss was more graphic than the last, almost as if the blue haired host was trying to put on a show. 

Kagami could feel his jaw drop and his eyes widen. He knew he had to get them to stop, but he just couldn’t find his voice. _What the heck is trying to prove with this?_ The amount of heat he felt in his face was starting to make him feel dizzy.

The fact that this pervert had the gall to do something like that in front of him without any hesitation was baffling. What was even more bizarre, was that Aomine wouldn’t stop staring at him as he continued. Hell, Kagami couldn’t look away from that smoldering gaze either.

“Oi! What the hell do you dumbasses think you’re doing?!”

Everyone looked over to see a very disgruntled Hyuuga rushing towards them. For once, Kagami was appreciative of the bespectacled man’s roar.

“What the hell are you doing here again?! Didn’t I tell you yesterday not to come here for no real reason? Don’t make me call your freakin’ manager again.”

“Jeez, calm down old man. There’s no need to drag Satsuki into this again. That was such a pain in the ass.” Aomine wore an expression of absolute indifference. “I’m just giving this guy here some advice. Experiencing my skill first hand should be an eye opener for him.”

“O-old man?!” Hyuuga’s veins were popping. “Who are you calling old?! I’m only a year older than you idiots!” He glared pointedly at both of them.

“H-hey, I didn’t say anything!” Kagami threw his hands up in a surrender.

“Doesn’t matter. You’re the last one. Again. Hurry up.” He pushed up his glasses. “Aomine.” A flowery grin appeared on his face, similar to the one from the day before. “Stop causing trouble before I forcibly stick my foot up your ass.” With that, he turned on his heel and strode away.

“Heh, he finally left.” The tanned host smirks. “And I guess today wasn’t a total waste...” He eyed Kagami meaningfully. “You need to learn that you just won’t cut if you stay as you are now... Make sure you show up tomorrow, Kagami Taiga.” Before Kagami could think up a proper retort, he was already through the glass doors, chatting away with Kuroko again.

_What was that weird look for...? Augh, I never even agreed to go. Cheeky son of a--! ... Wait, I never introduced myself where did he learn my name?! ... And my work nickname... He’s a freakin’ stalker!_ Kagami punched at one of the couch cushions and forced himself to calm down. Thankfully, he was already mostly done with his cleanup before he was so rudely interrupted. 

Once he was safely inside the locker room, he realized that there was not a soul in sight. The manager must have stormed out after their less than pleasant talk. That man might end up popping a blood vessel one day.

Slipping out of his jacket, he unbuttoned his shirt and was about to shrug it off when he heard the door creak open. Normally, he would have thought nothing of it. Kuroko was still there after all. However, in addition to the clang of the door shutting, he heard the soft click of the lock sliding into place.

Warning bells sounded off in his head. Whirling around, Kagami came face to face with deep blue orbs boring into his once again. However, what puzzled the redheaded host was the fact that the door was located on the other side of the room. Between locking the door and walking over to him, it should have taken a bit more time. _H-how did he get behind me so fast?_

Aomine slammed a hand onto the lockers near Kagami’s head and, using his body as a barrier, effectively trapped him. “W-what are you doing in here? This place is for employees only! Aren’t you smart enough to at least be able to read signs?!”

Aomine gave no reply, and simply studied the other’s face more closely. That handsome face was only a couple inches away from his own... _If he just leaned forward just a tiny bit more... No, no, no! Now was not the time to be attracted to this stuck up guy’s flawless face, dammit._ While Kagami was silently cursing at his unwanted attraction to the man, his unexpected guest interrupted his thoughts. 

“Hey. You... You aren’t actually straight... Are you?” His voice had a strangely serious tone to it.

The redhead had never blushed faster in his life. _This guy doesn’t mince words does he?_ “Wha-wha-what are you talking about? You-You’re definitely mistaken...!” 

The only ones who should’ve known about this were Kuroko, Hyuuga, and Aida... He didn’t confide in any of the other hosts or any of his customers. For good reason. _So just how... Kuroko wouldn’t have said anything... Would he?_ He turned his head, suddenly very interested in the dust bunnies scattered on the floor at their feet.

“Huh. So you aren’t.” Aomine looked triumphant. “So? Is that your selling point? Being your clients’ sassy, gay friend that they could gossip with?”

“N-no...! S-sassy... What? Where did you even get that idea?! Did Kuroko say anything about this?” 

“Hah! Tetsu wouldn’t talk about this kind of stuff to others. You’re just not very good at hiding it. I had gorgeous babes under my arms and yet, you never gave them a second glance. Most guys usually get envious or something...” He looked like he was speaking from experience. “But I didn’t sense any of that from you. And right now, you’re looking pretty flustered. I know that I’ve hit the mark.”

“I...! Y-you’re...!” Damn, if only he played that off better. He might’ve been able to get away with it. Kagami could feel his heart sinking.

“Heh, it’s not like I’m judging or something.” Aomine paused and mulled something over. “So, your customers must be in the dark about this then, huh?”

The redhead grit his teeth in defeat. Nothing he could say would be able save him at this point. “... What of it?”

“It means that I’ve just scored some perfect blackmail material.”

“Wait, what?! N-no!” He didn’t like the way the other man’s eyes shone. He was clearly planning something.

“Deal with it, or else this leaks to your clients and your business goes under.” Aomine tilted his head slightly. “You wouldn’t want your people finding out that they don’t even have a chance with you at all. Can’t you hear their protests and complaints already?”

Kagami swore colorfully under his breath and scowled. He really _did_ enjoy his job, and he felt that the others were like a second family to him. He couldn’t just damage their hard earned reputation after waltzing into their lives out of the blue like he had. “What... What do you want?”

“That’s a good boy.” Grinning, he took hold of Kagami’s left earlobe and pinched it between his fingers. The sudden touch caused the redhead to involuntarily flinch. “First, I wanna see your commitment. I think an ear piercing here would be nice... Make sure it matches this collar shirt of yours so you can look presentable before you visit me tomorrow.”

After a beat, Kagami’s brain finally registered what had been said. “... A piercing?! What the fuck for?!” He swatted Aomine’s lingering hand away angrily. This request was far from what he had expected.

“Hmph, if you can’t even do this much, then you must not care what happens to this club...?” 

“Tch! You sleazy piece of--!” Kagami snapped. He knew there would be heavy repercussions for starting a fight with another club’s host, but at the moment, he wasn’t really thinking. He just met the guy yesterday and yet, he easily managed to take full control of his life. Bullshit!

However, Aomine easily caught the fist that had attempted to connect with his jaw. “Woah, feisty aren’t you? You even aimed for the great Daiki-sama’s face. That’s a no-no.” 

As the redhead was quickly finding out, Aomine’s muscles weren’t simply for show. The man squeezed Kagami’s fist with such force that he was afraid that his bones were going to be crushed from the pressure. The sadist seemed to be fascinated by watching his pained expression. _Sick bastard...!_

Fortunately, after a tense few seconds, he eased his death grip. But that strong hand showed no signs of releasing his captive’s.

“You know...” Aomine’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Earlier, it looked like you wanted to join in.” 

The redhead thought he saw his tormentor's eyes change from teasing to something else as they moved but, it was gone before he could confirm it. “Earlier...? Oh.” Kagami flushed. He must be talking about that “show” he put on. “As if! We haven’t even known each other for two days! What makes you think yo--!”

Aomine obviously wasn’t planning on letting him finish, because the kiss that he forced upon the other was anything but tender. As expected, the womanizer’s skill with his tongue was evident with the way it explored the tiger’s mouth. Sure, it was enough to send small pleasurable shocks through their systems, but it was too fleeting for either to fully enjoy them.

Feeling an unwanted hand trace his exposed abs and make its way up to his chest, Kagami snapped out of his daze. By violently shoving the blue haired devil away with his free hand, he successfully broke their contact. Catching his breath, he headbutted his oppressor’s skull for good measure. “Dammit! Just because I swing that way, doesn’t mean that you can try taking advantage of that and experiment with me!” The adrenaline rush from earlier coupled with the blood that shot to his face were sending his mind and senses reeling. “Kisses might mean nothing to you, but to me they’re--!” He stopped. 

_\- "Kisses are special and should only be reserved for lovers, Taiga!" -_

Kagami averted his eyes as a memory he would rather forget resurfaced. _The bastard wouldn’t understand, even if I explained. A waste of breath._

Instead of exploding with anger at the abrupt rejection, the tanned male was practically glowing with excitement. “This is great...! I finally found one!” Gingerly rubbing his forehead, he laughed heartily.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said, you freakin’ asshole?! I’m not one of your possessions!” He was ready to murder this insensitive and incomprehensible jerk. What did he just find? What the hell was so funny?!

“And that’s where you’re wrong... _You belong to me now._ ” He was still grinning like a madman.

Satisfied, the intruder strolled out of the room leaving a livid Kagami alone to collect his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if it's worse than what you expected. I'm planning to write an extra next. It will feature Aomine and what's going on through that strange head of his.


	3. Flipside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the lack of updates. The ending bit is sorta rushed so I hope this is satisfactory!

Aomine had the good life. He was the leading host at his club, he received a steady flow of expensive gifts from his loyal customers that could probably keep him going for years to come, and finally, he possessed a myriad of partners to take to bed with him whenever he wished. Power, money, sex... What more could a guy possibly ask for?

Yet... He felt unfulfilled. Everything came much too easily now a days, especially when it came to love-making. Whether he desired a man (only on occasion and outside the walls of club, of course) or a woman for the night, it didn’t matter. Nobody ever declined his invitations.

A couple of his customers were actually fond of his arrogant personality, while others simply overlooked it in favor of his good looks and powerful presence. The remaining few were either drunk off the atmosphere he created... or were just plain drunk.

He was tired of it. Tired of the ease at which he could obtain whatever he desired. Tired of the life that came so easily to him. He ached for uncertainty.

Truthfully, he wanted somebody to reject him, as odd as that sounded. Someone who was ballsy enough to spurn his advances, fight him for control and, perhaps, even win. That thought, was what truly excited him to no end.

However when he accepted his job, he was already prepared to lose his chance at finding that one special someone. In this business, since you’re catering to so many different customers, it’s difficult to find the time to even _begin_ looking for a significant other. And, if by some miracle you were able to find that person, it would still be difficult to find time to be able to spend a sufficient amount of time with them.

In terms of work, most of the other hosts were usually quite accommodating with him. Once they had realized that they wouldn’t be able to defeat him in terms of number of customers, they either gave up or backed off. Instead of looking for new clientele, they would focus on pleasing the ones that they already had.

So boring. Smooth talking the ladies wasn’t that difficult. Wasn’t there anybody out there who was good enough to oppose his skill?

Even though he knew that finding either of these people would be nearly impossible, he harbored a deep, secret longing for them. If a man didn’t have anything to strive for, then else what was he living for?

Luckily for Aomine, the search that could have lasted a lifetime was shortened tremendously, thanks to a stroke of serendipity.

Indeed, the first time he laid eyes on the man who might be able to satisfy both of his wishes was a mere coincidence. He had left work a little early that night with the excuse of feeling extremely fatigued, to the chagrin of his peers. The owner, Imayoshi, tended to be lenient with him considering the amount of attention he has gotten the club, but Momoi gave him an earful before he managed to escape. _Tch, Satsuki and her incessant nagging. At least I had the decency to tell them that I was leaving this time._

As he enjoyed feeling the cool breeze on his skin, he decided to take a different street for a change of pace. There, he spotted a familiar halo of light blue. Jogging up to the unsuspecting doorman, he gave him a hearty slap on the back in addition to his usual greeting. Clearly irritated by the surprise attack, the shorter man swiftly rotated on the ball of his foot and delivered a punishing blow to Aomine’s stomach. Facing the man who was now doubling over in pain, he dusted off his suit with the same expressionless face as always.

“Good evening, Aomine-kun. I suggest that you never sneak up on me again unless you are, in actuality, a closet masochist. You startled me.” He readjusted his gloves as he issued his quiet threat.

_You’re one to talk..!_ “Ngh... Y-your jabs are as strong as ever, Tetsu.” The taller man slowly regained his posture, a hand still nursing his abused stomach. “I haven’t seen you in a while. What are you up to now?”

“I am presently an employee here.” Motioning to the building behind him, he added, “I’m still in the same business as you can see. I assume the same goes for you as well.”

Following the other’s hand, Aomine realized that he was now staring at a host club that had recently been garnering some attention. _Satsuki wouldn’t shut up about this place._ He glanced at Kuroko. _Now it’s pretty obvious why._

Rolling his eyes at his revelation, he squinted in an attempt to see what was inside. _Damn, the lights are dim in there._ When his eyes adjusted to the lighting, it was evident that they had a decent amount of customers. _Decent quality too. Heh, not too shabby I suppose... But not quite good enough._

Quickly losing interest, he was about to look away when a flash of color caught his eye. A man with flaming red hair was reclining on the sofa while chatting with his customers. Upon closer inspection there were more women, as well as champagne bottles, centered around him compared to the other hosts. _He must be the breadwinner of the bunch, huh?_

Well, the guy’s success wasn’t completely unfounded. The man was dressed well (he liked the color of the shirt especially), a well-built body with smooth sun kissed skin, a pretty handsome face (he noted the interesting shape of his eyebrows), and his eyes were definitely a huge plus. Aomine immediately took a great liking to those blazing ruby orbs that held such a fiery intensity within them. They were the eyes of somebody who wouldn’t give in too easily. Determined and strong... _Wild._

Although that angry look he was giving that woman right now was sure to scare off customers... or attract more. Who knows what kind of fetishes some people in this world have. Hell, he wasn’t really one to talk.

But, those features couldn’t possibly be all that this guy had in his arsenal. Surely there must be something else. Something that made him more desirable to the female masses in comparison to the others. Aomine had been carefully observing the other host and saw nothing that was particularly extraordinary. _What could it be...?_

As if on cue, the answer became quite obvious. The redhead must have heard something pleasing because he gave a warm, heart stopping smile that seemed to brighten the darkly lit room. His facial expression wasn’t a facade or forced in order to maintain appearances for his regulars. No, it was a simple, genuine smile that actually succeeded in making Aomine’s heart beat faster. As cheesy as it was to admit, his dazzling smile was angelic.

It was infectious as well. Even from outside, it was clear that the atmosphere had become lighter and more pleasant around him. Before he could help himself, Aomine was grinning alongside the stranger.

“Aomine-kun, is there something you find amusing?” Kuroko followed the other’s gaze and made the connection. “Ah, that’s our newest recruit who started working here yesterday, Kagami Taiga.”

In his surprise, the tanned male nearly knocked over a nearby sign. _How could I forget that he was standing right next to Tetsu?!_ Aomine cleared his throat. “Kagami Taiga, you say? Hmph, so he’s a total newbie then?”

“Don’t underestimate him, I scouted him myself. He has the potential to be even greater. I can sense it.” Aomine swore that his old friend sounded like a doting mother.

“Oh? If you picked him out then... things have gotten interesting again.” Aomine couldn’t help but feel a small sliver of hope. Perhaps this was the one he had secretly been searching for. Or, at the very least, he could prove to be entertaining and help relieve the monotony of his days. “I’ll visit again soon, Tetsu.” With a wave of his hand, he walked off and began plotting his next move.

A few days afterwards, Aomine decided that it was high time for him to finally introduce himself to his potential rival or lover. This time, _after_ he finished work. He already planned out what he wanted to discuss and, with the desire to make a “good” impression, he brought a couple of his loyal customers to show off.

He had done a little digging about the guy beforehand of course. It was so easy to procure information about him from his regulars. They seemed to be die hard fans of this Tora-chan of theirs. As it turns out, Kagami didn’t excel at flirting, but he did seem to genuinely enjoy listening to each customer talk about their daily lives. He could also be a little scary at times, but that blunt nature of his allows him to give very direct advice to any of their problems. Easily if they were domestic issues.

Overall he was pure-hearted, optimistic, (brutally) honest, and a tad bit naive sometimes.

However, they didn’t seem to know much else about the guy other than the fact that he can speak English and that he enjoys cooking and recreational activities, such as basketball. It makes sense, considering how long he had been working there, but he was told that the redhead tended to expertly steer the conversation away from himself often. As if he had secret past that he wanted to hide or something. Which was fine. Mysterious guys seemed to have a better aura about them, according to some women anyway.

Naturally, their “first” meeting proceeded exactly how Aomine had expected it to be. Up close, Kagami was even better than what he had initially thought. His gruff personality and the irritated faces he made were priceless, endearing even. Aomine could feel the other man’s hostile aura roll off of him in waves as they exchanged words, and relished the sensation. Ultimately, even after all the verbal abuse that he suffered, he could tell that the other man still had some fight in him. Amusing.

Aomine felt impelled to return the following night.

By now, the tanned host believed that he had a good grasp of Kagami’s character and decided to "test" his theories. This time around, he brought different beauties with him in order to carry out his “experiment”.

Kissing, from Aomine’s perspective, was never anything special. It did feel damn good though. _It’s like holding hands or dancing, but with your tongues._ However, if the redhead was as pure as they say, he was sure to get a good reaction from him if he were to initiate something in front of him.

While embracing one of the women that he had brought with him that night, Aomine was also covertly observing to see if there were any changes to the redhead. It was then that he made a pleasing discovery. Kagami was paying no attention to the woman at all. He didn’t seem to notice her moans or the expression she was making in the slightest. Instead, he was focused solely on Aomine. And his face was redder than a tomato.

_Heh, that’s cute._ The blue haired man couldn’t help but smile. _I wonder if I can make him even redder._ He reached for his second customer and decided to put a little bit more effort into the kiss; his eyes trained on Kagami’s every move as their tongues danced. 

To his delight, he was able to completely fluster the other man. Despite the fact that he was a host, Kagami must be really pure-hearted to become this distressed over a little french kiss. A charming contradiction to his appearance to be sure. _The expressions he made just now were better than I expected... Time for the next part of my plan then._

Later that night, he waited for the other employees to clear the building before following Kagami into the staff exclusive area. Easily slipping into the room, he locked the door behind him and closed in on his prey.

Trapping Kagami in front of his locker, he ignored the other’s insults and took a moment to appreciate the redhead’s features in detail once more. Staring into those ruby eyes, Aomine felt like he could hear Kagami’s thoughts clearly, as if they were his own. And he liked what he heard. _Let’s get those thoughts out into the open, shall we?_

Getting straight to the point, he unabashedly asked about Kagami’s sexual preferences. Instantly, Kagami’s defiant stance turned into a defensive one. However, his feeble attempts at hiding the truth were telling. Coupled with the fact that he blushed in record time and started stuttering so often, strongly confirmed Aomine’s suspicions. 

_Good. I can move to the next part now. My new blackmail victim!_ Naturally, he wasn’t actually planning on revealing any information to anybody. Oh no, this juicy bit of knowledge was something he was going to keep to himself. But Kagami didn’t know that. Nor did he need to.

Aomine’s smirk grew wider as he considered all of the possibilities.

But, first things first. Aomine wanted to leave a visible mark on Kagami. A branding if you will. He had considered making him get a tattoo along that nice looking nape of his, but that would be a bit extreme for a first request. Aomine was going to take it slow, so he settled on something smaller: a piercing. His fingers traced Kagami’s ear lobe, appreciatively noticing the beautiful contrast in skin. _Right here. An earring in my color_

Aomine was fully prepared for retaliation from the redhead after making his demand. In fact, he welcomed it. So, when Kagami swung his fist at his jaw, Aomine felt a thrill he hadn’t felt in ages. _Aiming for the face? Courageous bastard._ Kagami was as strong as he looked, but not strong enough to completely overpower him. Catching the blow with ease, he tightened his grip around that balled fist, admiring the new pained expressions he had not yet had the luxury of witnessing pass over the redhead's face. 

Further excited from the rough treatment, Aomine was unable to resist his urge to plant a forceful kiss onto the other host’s lips. He waited until the Kagami’s mouth was wide open from yelling before exploiting his chance and expertly slipping his tongue inside, eager to explore.

The exchange was exhilarating. So much so that Aomine was becoming more inclined to change his opinion about kissing altogether. He wasn’t sure how to describe it other than the fact that it felt... right. 

Savoring the small waves of pleasure from the contact, Aomine pressed his palm against his partner’s exposed stomach, appreciating the firmness of his muscles and the feel of his skin. Unfortunately, Kagami pushed and headbutted him before he could completely travel upwards and reach his pink peaks.

_Geh! This guy has a really thick skull...!_ Aomine rubbed his forehead. _... But, he’s also the first one who’s ever rejected my advances after getting a taste of my kiss! Hah, I might actually be able to really fall for this guy!_ At this point, he was barely registering the spurning words that Kagami was shouting. Lost in his thoughts, Aomine couldn’t contain his pure delight as he burst out into gleeful laughter. He hadn’t laughed like this in a long time. Not genuinely in any case.

Aomine had been given a goal that he wanted to work towards. A task that inflamed his soul and consumed his thoughts with a burning need to be fulfilled. He found the one that he had been yearning for, and he vowed to never let him escape. Aomine was determined to make Kagami unable to think of anybody else, unable to get aroused by or from anybody else, and most importantly, unable to _be_ with anybody else.

**_Kagami Taiga, you belong to me._ **


	4. Realizations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE. I AM SCUM. THE LOWEST SCUM. I’M SO SORRY. I had been sitting on this draft since last year, and finally decided to get around editing and post it (I'll probably edit it again in the future). Again, I’m really sorry to those who I had told that the update would have been released last year…

Kagami had been standing motionless in front of the entrance to a fairly well-decorated building for twenty minutes now. Avoiding the inquisitive glances he received from those who were passing by, he ran a hand through his hair and paced around the entryway. Returning his gaze to the building, he stared at his reflection on the glass windows; his eyes immediately focused on his left ear.

Unconsciously, he reached for it, poking the blue starter earring that now resided there. He could still feel a dull throb and winced. _I still can’t believe I went through with that blackmailer’s demands and got this stupid thing... And, why the hell am I here again? I could be sleeping right now... I’m frickin’ tired._

Although the two host clubs close up shop around the same time, the Devils actually start work a full two hours earlier than the Angels do. Ridiculous hours in Kagami’s opinion. His normal shift was already tiring enough for him, so picking up any more hours at this point would be suicide. But then again, he probably just needed to fall into the rhythm of things so it would be less taxing on his body. Just another point that he begrudgingly has to concede to the navy haired bastard.

_Fuck it, I’m missing my date with my bed._

As he was turning to leave, a voice suddenly called out to him. Peeking over his shoulder, he was confronted by three (gorgeous, he might add) middle-aged women. “Excuse me! Were you here to visit Hyou-sama by any chance?”  
  
“Hyou... sama...? Um, no actually I was just about to lea--”  
  
“Don’t be shy now, I’ve noticed you loitering around the entrance for a while now. There have been a surprising amount of males who come to visit him too recently! Oh! But that’s hush-hush, alright dear?” The women accompanying her giggled. “We don’t judge, so come on now~ I’m sure he won’t let a catch like you get away~” Without waiting for a reply, the chipper blonde took hold of the confused man and dragged him through the door, with some help from the others.  
  
Upon entering, he was immediately engulfed in the smell of alcohol, cigarettes, and perfume. A setting similar to his own workplace, but they seemed to be more liberal with their use of black furniture, and the atmosphere seemed to have a more... intoxicating effect.

“Oi, Kagami. Took you long enough to get here.” A familiar voice rang out from behind a thin, veil-like curtain.

“Hyou-sama!” The woman who had latched herself onto Kagami’s arm urged him to follow her as she pulled back the curtains to reveal the lavish space within, complete with dark furniture that seemed to be more exotic in make when compared to the decor of the rest of the club. Sitting comfortably on plush sofas were several women, all wearing extravagant clothing and were all exceedingly beautiful. And there, situated in the center of them was the man Kagami had been dreading to see again.  
  
“Hyou-sama... Wait, you wouldn’t be referring to Aomine, would you?” Kagami looked in disbelief. _Sama? Really?_ Was that kind of title necessary? From the small amount of knowledge he had about the man, Kagami figured that, unlike his own, Aomine’s nickname had been self-dubbed. _And the guy had the gall to make fun of my nickname..._

“Of course, silly!” She exclaimed with fervor. “You’re already acquainted with this one, Hyou-sama? He’s quite dashing himself... A-although, not quite as dashing as yourself of course!” Blushing, the blonde finally released her strong grip on Kagami’s arm and took a seat in the booth.

To Kagami’s embarrassment, the other patrons were now acknowledging his presence and began to shower him with compliments. _Maybe I can use this to my advantage and steal some of his customers from under his nose. That would be pretty sweet._

However, before he could even open his mouth, Aomine beat him to the punch. “Ladies, please pay him no mind. Kagami is a very special guest for tonight. He’s simply here to watch me work my magic... Unless, you would rather have him sitting here, rather than myself...” With just a few sentences and a feigned dejected expression from Aomine, he had been able to immediately recapture the women’s attention. As they began reassuring him of his place on his throne, Aomine gave Kagami a look of utter triumph as the latter rolled his eyes.

 _Damn, he’s quick to hog attention... I could vomit._ Kagami sighed audibly and fell into a stool at the bar located across from Aomine’s booth. _This is going to be a long night._  
  
While he was rubbing his temples, another voice drifted out from behind him and interrupted his thoughts. “I’m sorry about Aomine-kun, Kagamin. He isn’t that bad of a guy, really.”

Whirling around he came face to face with another dazzling and cheerful woman, clad in a bartender uniform. “”K-Kagamin...? You mean me?”

The stranger laughed as she pushed a stray pink strand from her pale face. “Of course! My name is Momoi Satsuki, it’s nice to finally meet you. I work here as the manager and, if need be, the part-time bartender.”

“O-oh, I see... Nice to meet you...” He slowly processed the information. “How did you know my name?”  
  
“I like investigating the competition. Naturally, that includes you and your club.” She smiled. “Would you like a drink? Don’t worry, it’ll be on the house.”  
  
“If that’s the case, yeah.... Uh, please.”

She smiled warmly again before mixing his drink and gently setting it before him. “Wait, I didn’t even say anything. How did you know that this is what I wanted...?”   
  
Giggling she replied, “I already told you, didn’t I? I’ve done my homework on you guys.”

 _... So she knows everything about us, even down to our drink preferences?! That’s... amazing and terrifying at the same time. Are all club managers crazy?!_ Kagami’s mind flashed an image of his own manager before making a mental note not to get on Momoi’s bad side... ever.

“Aomine-kun’s taken a shine to you. You must really be something to attract his attention.” Momoi giggled at Kagami’s confused expression. “He doesn’t often concern himself with other hosts, let alone actually bother to interact with them... But I think he’s right, you do seem to have the potential.”

“I, uh... see. T-thanks...?” _So what, I’m the only one that he spontaneously decided to be a dick to?! Why was it hostility at first glance for me?!_

Seeing his furrowed brow, she continued. “Don’t worry, he’s not teasing you because he hates you or anything. So don’t let that get to you, okay? I actually think that it's the complete opposite.” She winked before going off to tend to another customer, leaving Kagami to begrudgingly do what he had been brought here to do.

 _Time to observe the bastard in his natural habitat._ He pushed Momoi’s words to the back of his mind. He wasn’t willing to think too deeply about it right now.

Aomine was, as much as Kagami loathed to admit, nothing short of incredible. More precisely, his powers of observation and his reflexes to act upon his quick judgments were actually very impressive. He knew exactly what each customer wanted before they were aware of the need themselves. Whether it be advice, a reassuring hug, or a well-timed joke, Aomine was surprisingly very good at taking care of his clients.

In addition to that, at some point that night, after listening to a client intently, Aomine allowed a gentle smile to adorn his face.

A complete contrast to the smug grins that he usually wore, his expression exuded affection and warmth. A function that Kagami didn’t know Aomine even had the capability of having. It was more than enough to make Kagami’s mouth go dry, causing him to hungrily gulp down the rest of his drink. His heart was beating wildly in his chest as his mind worked to engrave the expression in his memory. It was just so... dazzling.

Although Kagami had been joking earlier about the club being Aomine’s “habitat,” the possibility of it being true was increasing tremendously. The rival host quite literally looked like a king, majestically sitting on his throne while being surrounded by admirers. It simply looked natural.

_I suppose his previous boasts weren’t entirely unfounded but... it still makes me want to overthrow him even more..._

He was drawn back to reality when a woman that had been hugging Aomine’s arm suddenly had her hand to his chest, trailing the contours of his well defined chest. Aomine made no move to stop her, and Kagami found himself wishing that that had been his hand feeling the tautness of those muscles. He couldn’t help but stare as the hand boldly ventured lower, nearly brushing against his--

He violently shook his head to clear his wandering mind and averted his gaze. Did he really just fantasize about that? He must be more tired than he had initially thought. Or maybe it's the atmosphere? Either way, he felt like needed to leave.  
  
 _How long have I been here anyways...?_ Glancing at a nearby wall clock, he recoiled. Had he really been staring at that guy for that long? This can’t be good for his mental sanity.

Pulling himself up from his seat, he bid farewell to Momoi, and proceeded to head towards the exit. Once his hand touched the door’s surface, he felt a sudden warm weight on his shoulder (which he unsuccessful at shrugging off), and heard someone call out to the women behind him. “I’ll just see this guy off, so I’ll be back soon. Don’t miss me too much, kay?”

Still hugging him by the shoulder, Aomine lead Kagami into a nearby alleyway where he pushed him against the wall and cornered him, like he had done just the night before. Ignoring Kagami’s protests, Aomine roughly tugged his chin to the side, admiring the way the piercing glowed under the light from the setting sun and whistled lowly.

“W-what is it? I did exactly what you asked for, didn’t I?!” Kagami barked, his eyes fierce.

Aomine leaned in close to his newly pierced ear. “Glad to see you followed the instructions from yesterday, _Tora-chan_.”

Kagami involuntarily shivered from the sudden hot breath on his throbbing skin and cursed inwardly at his reaction before creating some space between the two of them. “Don’t call me that! What else was I supposed to do you freakin’ blackmailer?”

“I also noticed that you were actually paying attention today.” As Aomine spoke he invaded Kagami’s personal space once more. His tongue flicked briefly over the shell of the ear with the piercing before he made his way down to his neck. As Aomine licked and sucked at the vulnerable flesh there, Kagami's hands ended up grabbing hold of his (surprisingly soft) cerulean strands, abruptly incapable of any other action.

Unlike yesterday, the two were out in the open, where anybody could happen upon them. It was arousing and yet terrifying at the same time. His grip tightened as he swallowed his moans, refusing to give his tormentor the satisfaction of hearing his voice and not caring if the other was hurting.

However, Aomine simply hummed at the new burning stinging in his scalp; it surprisingly didn't seem to bother him in the least. In fact, he seemed to have decided to enjoy the sensation. “I was thinking that you deserved a little reward for your efforts, don’t you agree?” Starting with firm stomach muscles, Aomine's hands worked his way upwards, pushing up the redhead's shirt and once again relishing the feel of the other's skin against his own. Only this time, Kagami didn't have the will to push him away.

 _At least he didn’t try to kiss me again..._ Kagami dazedly thought. He was both relieved and disappointed by the fact. Which was downright confusing as hell. Just yesterday he was pushing the guy away for just touching him, and now he was pulling him closer?

Kagami just couldn’t understand what was wrong with him. What had changed between yesterday and today? His mind flashed back to Aomine’s tender expression and to Momoi’s words. Maybe there was more to Aomine than he thought. More behind the asshole nature and womanizing...?

Suddenly, Kagami was hissing as Aomine had bitten down on the spot that he had been so attentively nursing. He had still been in the process of lapping up the blood that had begun to pool when Kagami violently ripped his head away, pushing him into the opposite wall of the narrow alleyway.

Or maybe Kagami was just over thinking things, and Aomine was simply just a giant dick.

“What the fuck did you do that for, you perverted asshole?!” He put a dabbed his fingers on his neck, smearing the viscous liquid. To Kagami’s dismay, the sharp pain had actually felt... good. Not that he would ever confess that. “You broke skin! How the hell am I suppose to explain this at work?!”

“Hmm, is Tora-chan displeased?”  
  
“I’m more than just _displeased_ , you dipshit!” Kagami snarled. “I wouldn’t be in this predicament if you had just left me the fuck alone! Why the hell do you go out of your way to bother me anyways?!”

“Hmm, you sure seemed to enjoy it though.” Aomine tilted his head thoughtfully, drinking in Kagami’s expression before chuckling. “Alright, alright. I’m feeling generous. Let’s make a bet. If you can match me in customers in two weeks, I’ll consider keeping your little secret between just the two of us. But if you lose...” He flashed a wolfish grin, “Well, let’s just keep that part a surprise.”

Spurred on by the challenge Kagami roared, “Bring it on, Ahomine! But you better keep to your promise or else I’ll smash that smug face of yours into the asphalt! Then we’ll see who’ll want your ugly ass when I’m through!” He then proceeded to stomp away without a single backwards glance.

Traveling the familiar streets to his workplace, he found his mind wandering. _Even if that guy just spouts nonsense most of the time, the insufferable bastard has been right about one thing yesterday. I need to get better at my job if I want to compete with him._ He gingerly touched the reddening mark on his neck. _I’m gonna knock him off his damn throne._  
  
Clenching his fists, he whipped out his phone and pressed speed dial. He needed more advice, and he knew just the right person to call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the kudos, bookmarks, and comments! I really didn't think people would like this so much, and I'm really touched. ;A;
> 
> I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that I have a kendo tournament (I'm going to fly to the east coast!) and will not be able to log in for a few days (until 3/25 or 3/26). I'll respond to any comments after then.
> 
> Thank you all again! ♥


	5. Guidance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a very long time since my last update. I realize that I've left this story hanging for two years now and have to apologize again to everyone who was interested in the story. I've resolved to try and finish this story this year, so hopefully I won't back down on that! To those of you who are still interested in the story, thank you for bearing with my absence. D:

Before heading back to work, Kagami had stopped by a convenience store to get a plaster for the “reward” that Aomine had given him. He told his customers that he had gotten cut while carelessly walking through some shrubbery, but Kuroko’s stare told him that it was a little less than believable. Thankfully, he had the decency not to call him out on it.

The next day was one of his precious days off, and it had started seemingly normal. He woke up, washed his face, and went out into the kitchen to make some food before he was ambushed by a pair of waiting lips. Yelping away from the touch, he forcibly detached himself from the intruder. “Dammit, Alex! I told you to stop doing that!”

The blonde simply laughed, “But Taiga, this much is customary, isn’t it? Also, you seem to be mysteriously fresh outta beer.”

“What the heck are you talking abou--” His eyes landed on his dining table and, after groaning inwardly, he cursed his lack of foresight. “Maybe it was a mistake to call you after all.” Kagami sighed as he began clearing empty beer cans from his previously spotless dining table.

“Aww, don’t be like that Taiga baby~”

Kagami’s eye twitched at the nickname. “... At least you’re wearing clothes this time.” He finished clearing the table and sat down heavily in one of his wooden stools. “I thought you were the right person to call for my, uh... issue. But seriously, what can you do about this?”

“You gotta bring out the big guns in a war, right? And that Aomine guy seems like a tough opponent (he thought he saw her give a brief glance at his neck, and slapped a hand over it out of reflex), so you came to the right person!” She beamed at him. “It’s odd though... I could have sworn you told me you were going to become a chef and work with Tatsuya? I never would have thought that you would ever be in this line of work in all my years.”

“Tatsuya ended up meeting some dude who’s really good at making pastries, so he doesn’t really... need me. But the Angels do... And it’s fun, in its own way.” Kagami inadvertently rubbed his necklace. Alex usually had a way of squeezing information out of him, but he’d rather not delve into details of that at the moment. “Anyways... What do you think I should do?”

She blonde stared at him for a moment before answering. “Hmm, alright then. I’ll let that slide for now. As for your current issue, I think I know exactly where to take you.” 

* * *

“So...” Kagami rubbed his temples. “Why are we here again?”

“What? Isn’t it obvious? You need to get better with baby steps, so we need to start somewhere where you would be comfortable before tackling the big leagues!” Alex laughed, and pushed open the door with a neon sign that read: _The Shamrock Bar._

Following her inside, Kagami glanced around at his surroundings and lowered his voice. “But this is a gay bar! How is this supposed to help me?!” 

The bar itself was dimly lit and curtains of smoke helped distort one’s vision, giving the air a more intimate atmosphere. Predictably, the decorations, from the curtains to the carpets, were centered around a calming jade color. The patrons spoke softly among themselves, a collective murmur that served as an accent to the low jazz that played from the jukebox and the pleasant clinking of glassware. An environment that slightly reminded Kagami of his workplace, which was weirdly reassuring. All except for that pile of curious looking odds and ends that he spied in a corner near the bar. It didn’t seem to fit with the surroundings at all.

“You said it yourself, didn’t you? You need more experience dealing with people, get out of your comfort zone, and meet new people! This is the fastest way to build that skill, so let’s not waste any time!” Alex pushed him towards the counter to order drinks.

A green haired man sat stiffly in one of the bar stools, a taped hand pushing up his glasses further up on his stoic, yet handsome face. He was staring rather intensely at a curious figurine of a frog resting in the space in front of him. Upon making eye contact with the man, Alex nudged him to strike up a conversation.

Mustering up his courage, he slid into the seat beside the stranger. “Uh, hi there. My name is Kagami Taiga, what’s your name...?” A few awkward seconds of silence later, Kagami cleared his throat as he eyed the man once more and decided to try a different angle. “... What’s that figure that you’ve got there?”

“Kerosuke.”

“Eh?” Kagami wasn’t actually sure if he heard correctly.

“This is Kerosuke. Or Mr. Ribbit, if you prefer.” The man shifted his torso to face Kagami. “This is my lucky item of the day.”

Kagami stared at the man’s face, looking for any sign that he was joking. Because he had to be joking didn’t he? When the stranger’s expression didn’t change, Kagami had a hard time keeping the disbelief off his face. “S-sorry. L-lucky item...?”

Shifting back to face the object the man traced the figure’s eye with his finger. “Yes. Oha Asa has predicted so.”

“I, uh... I see...? That’s... um. Nice?” Oha Asa? Lucky Items? _Mr. Ribbits?_ Kagami was at a major loss now. Maybe another subject change would help. “Uh, um. Do you... Do you come here often?” As soon as those words left his mouth, he mentally kicked himself for sounding so pathetic. It didn’t help that he could hear Alex not so subtly laughing at him in the background.

The raven haired bartender who had been watching the exchange with interest cheerily interrupted, “Oh Shin-chan, I think he’s hitting on you! Why don’t you actually introduce yourself? He’s trying his best, and isn’t he adorable?”

Kagami flushed. _Adorable?!_

“Takao, I thought I had already advised you not to call me that.” The man known as _Shin-chan_ pushed his glasses further up his face. “It is ill advised to give away your name so freely to strangers.” He glanced at the bartender and sighed. “But, if you must know, my name is Midorima. Midorima Shintarou.”

 _Did he just lecture me?_ “It’s... It’s nice to meet you...?”

“And to answer your previous question, yes I do ‘come here often’. I happen to work shifts as a bartender alongside Takao most nights.” He motioned to the raven haired man with the knowing smile. “Additionally, if those ridiculous attempts at flirting is the best you have to offer, I highly suggest learning better ones. You do not appear to be able to flirt to save your life.”

“What?!” Kagami’s shock quickly gave way to anger and jabbed an accusing finger at Midorima. “You weren’t exactly being helpful with your weird answers to my questions either, you know! What with your Mr. Gero’s or whatever!”

“ _It’s Kerosuke!_ ”

Takao clapped his hands. “Okay, I think that’s enough.” He gave meaningful looks at Midorima and Alex. “Kagami, I know you were trying and I hate to break it to you but--” Takao covered Midorima’s hand with his own and laughed. “--this one is actually taken. I mean, really, who else could put up with Mr. Grumpy Pants over here?”

Kagami’s jaw dropped. He was only broken out of his stupor by a jarring burst of laughter from behind him. “Alex! Stop laughing at me!” He turned just in time to see her do a fist bump with Takao. His jaw dropped for a second time. “Y-you...! You _knew_ , didn’t you! You knew about them and made me hit on him anyways, didn’t you?! What the hell?!” Kagami’s face felt hot as the two troublemakers burst into another round of laughter.

“S-sorry, Taiga. I just couldn’t resist. Since I frequent this bar, Kazunari and I have known each other for a long time now.” She rubbed her watering eyes. “Let me formally introduce you all. This is Takao Kazunari,” she nudged her partner in crime with her elbow, “and as you know, that stick in the mud that you’ve been trying so hard to woo is his boyfriend.”

“I resent that description.” Midorima scoffed and took a sip of his drink.

“Why the hell didn’t any of you tell me that he was taken?! I wasted time and energy trying to talk to this prick!” Kagami buried his face in his hands.

“It wasn’t all bad. You did get some experience from that, didn’t you?” She smirked as she took a swig of her drink. “Baby steps, Taiga. Baby steps.”

“Experience?! Baby steps?! I made a fool of myself and learned practically next to nothing about this guy!” Kagami felt his cheeks burn. “What exactly was I supposed to learn from that?!”

Takao chimed in. “Don’t feel bad! If I wasn’t 100% confident that my Shin-chan was loyal to our relationship, I would have been worried that you could have whisked him away! In front of me, no less~”

“T-Takao! Stop spouting such embarrassing nonsense.” It was faint, but Midorima’s cheeks had become dusted in pink as he moved his free hand to squeeze the one that was already covering his own.

“See? Isn’t he just the cutest?” Takao beamed.

Kagami’s mind blanked. _I’m dreaming. None of this actually happened. I’m still asleep in my bed, and this is all just a terrible nightmare that--_ “Ow!”

Alex pinched Kagami’s cheeks, “There’s no time to stand there and be jealous, Taiga! The night is still young, so we’re off to the next bar!” Alex waved goodbye to the bartenders and started dragged him away from the counter.

“Wait, _next_ bar?! We’ve been in this bar for less than an hour, and we’re already changing places? How many bars are you planning on making me embarrass myself in?!”

She glanced at him before giggling, “You have much to learn and the night is still young!”

“I still have work tomorrow, you know that? I need to get some kind of sleep before then.” Kagami tugged his arm out of her hold.

“Don’t worry about it!” Alex sang in English and skipped through the bar entrance. "This is all part of your training!"

“That’s exactly _why_ I’m worried! Hey! Are you listening to me?!” Kagami stomped out of the bar after her and was immediately enveloped by the cool night air. Knowing Alex, Kagami wasn’t going to be able to sleep anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an idea of where I want the next few chapters to go, but the ending is still up in the air. Thank you again for reading!


	6. To the Victor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I had been planning on posting this on Aomine's birthday, but didn't quite... make it. I can only really write during my lunch breaks, so thanks for your patience. Also, a big thank you for the comments last chapter! They really made my day~ :D
> 
> Hope you like this one!

To Kagami’s dismay, that first embarrassing encounter he had at _The Shamrock_ was only the beginning. Alex continued to point out new “targets” for him (men and women alike) throughout the night and every single time, Kagami managed to make a fool of himself somehow. 

In the end, Kagami swore that Alex dragged him to nearly every bar within the city’s limits. When he was finally allowed to return home, he was utterly exhausted from all the “training” that Alex had put him through. He just knew that he was going to have a hangover the next day -- high alcohol tolerance be damned. 

To make matters worse, that hellish night of bar hopping was not his last. Alex dragged Kagami to a bar whenever he was free for the rest of the week to strengthen his skills... or something. Alex was always very vague with her answers regarding the true purpose of these trips, so Kagami gave up trying to figure out what went on in her brain after the third night. And then, as quickly as she had came, she announced that she had leave to attend to more vague business elsewhere. To Kagami’s frustration, she kissed him on the lips goodbye and waltzed out his apartment, leaving a pile of (Kagami’s) empty beer cans in her wake.

On the bright side, although his pride had taken a thorough beating, he had gotten better at speaking with strangers, and even found new ways to attract new clientele to the club.

Kagami realized that his cooking skills were a greater boon than he had previously thought. When he first started learning how to cook, it was just something that he needed to do in order to survive. Somewhere along the way, the activity became a way for him to relax and experiment with new recipes. He had always thought that he was decent at it so, on a whim, he decided to bring a dish to share with a few of his regulars. 

To his surprise, it was a major hit. His customers had known that he _said_ that he could cook, but they didn’t realize _the extent_ to which he could cook. Soon after this revelation, his clients were begging him to cook for them, whether it be a live demonstration or just the fruits of his labor, and he happily obliged. It filled Kagami with warmth to see that his food was being enjoyed, and it gave his customers a chance to fill their stomachs and see him in a new side of him they would have possibly never known. A newer client of his had once called it a “ _gap moe_ [1]” which, confused the hell out of Kagami. From the other customers’ round of loud agreements and smiles, the puzzled host just decided to write it off as probably being a good thing.

Singing, another skill that he had just done for his own personal enjoyment, ended up being another plus. When it was his turn to draw in new customers, he decided to try doing a street performer approach [2]. He had seen a few while he was “training” with Alex, so he thought that it would be a good idea to finally dust off his old acoustic guitar and put it to actual use. 

Being able to sing well was good in itself, but being able to sing well in a foreign language ended up attracting even more people. When new faces started approaching him to grab the business cards he had placed next to him, he would give them each a disarming smile as thanks. This would prompt others to muster up the courage to also take a card in the hopes that Kagami would direct his bright smile towards them too.

Somehow (probably through Aomine himself), patrons of both clubs caught wind of the wager and were flocking to the hosts’ sides to provide support for their favorites. The other club workers would have needed to be blind to not pick up on the events considering that their sudden influx of customers and revenue came out of seemingly nowhere. Some of the hosts decided to ignore the bet completely, while others took pride in their clubs and ended up openly supporting their respective hosts.

In general, Kagami’s amazing growth in popularity was beyond nearly everyone’s expectations. Everyone except for the handful of people who were watching the scenes unfold from outside the club. Kuroko was minding the door, as usual, with Riko leaning on their club sign to his right. Beside them was Aomine and Momoi, who had tagged along thanks to her insistence.

“Would you look at that, he’s making some progress.”

“Of course he is, Aomine-kun. I’m the one who scouted him after all.” Kuroko seemed to have an aura surrounding him that resembled that of a proud parent.

“Well, his growth is impressive, I’ll say that much.” Momoi started conversationally, her gaze sliding to brunette next to her, “But I don’t think that will be enough. Aomine-kun is _much_ better after all, and will have absolutely no problem winning this bet at all.” Her tone was light, but the mischievous glint in her eye said otherwise.

“Are you taking one of my boys lightly?” Riko straightened her back to face Momoi properly, taking offense immediately. “He’ll match your numbers--no-- _double_ your numbers!” She walked over to Momoi so they were standing toe to toe as she continued making declarations about Kagami’s skills.

Aomine and Kuroko, both sensing an altercation between the two women that they would rather not be a part of, sidled away from the pair discreetly until they were out of earshot. Kuroko would have defended Kagami’s honor if it had been in any other conversation, but with the two of them involved, he could only foresee pain in his future if he intervened.

Shivering slightly, he turned his attention to his companion. “Aomine-kun, do you think Kagami-kun has a chance against you, or no?”

“Blunt as always.” Aomine shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well, it does seem that he sucks a little less now I guess, but really. The only one who can beat me is me in this industry.” Ignoring the look Kuroko gave him, he averted his eyes and continued, “He’s real dense too. I bet he doesn’t even understand _why_ his new methods are working, only that they _are_ working.” He stared at the red haired host who had a carefree smile on his face while talking to his customers through the glass doors.

“Kagami-kun can be pretty naive, yes. However, I think his methods are... refreshing. He doesn’t try to manipulate or toy around with people’s hearts like some people I know.” Kuroko gave him a pointed look. “He has genuine fun simply by interacting with people.”

Before Aomine could retort, Momoi was bounding towards him at an impressive speed for someone in stilettos, a gleeful expression on her face. Grabbing his arm, she began to drag the confused, protesting host away while yelling her farewells over her shoulder. After they were a good distance away from the others, Momoi gave Aomine a serious look. “Dai-chan. You absolutely, under no circumstances, cannot lose this bet. Do you understand?”

“... _What the fuck, Satsuki._ ” Aomine, still bewildered by her sudden burst of energy pulled his arm from her death grip. “You already know that I won’t. Hell, you were singing my praises just a few minutes ago. What brought this on?”

“Let’s just say that you aren’t the only one who has some kind of stake in this bet anymore.”

* * *

When it was finally the promised final day for the wager, Kagami met up with Aomine at the Devil’s club to check the results. The last two weeks had been exhausting, what with all the changes to Kagami’s schedule coupled with the sudden, not-so-subtle threats he received from Riko if she even saw the smallest drop in performance from him. 

“Well, Kagami. We’ve compared the numbers and... Well, it was actually an okay try, but it appears that I’ve won the bet.” Grinning, he continues, “As expected, of course. And now.... to collect my winnings.”

Clenching his fists tightly, Kagami refused to let his disappointment show on his face and only glared in response. Aomine could have him do _anything_ he wanted and now, all Kagami could do was brace himself for whatever he had in store for him. It made him realize that he had been so focused on winning that he never realized the actual ramifications of the bet. He never once stopped to consider what would happen if he were to _lose_.

“According to my sources, you have next Saturday off, right?”

“How did you--?” He glanced over Aomine’s shoulder and locked eyes with Momoi, who gave him an innocent smile and a peace sign. Kagami involuntarily shivered. _Seriously, I’m never ever going to mess with her._

“As it so happens, I have that day off too--” Wakamatsu could be heard in the background screaming something that sounded like - _the hell you do, you fuckin’ bastard!_ \- before being silenced with a hand slapped over his mouth, courtesy of Imayoshi. “--and I have the best idea on how we should spend it.”

Momentarily distracted by Wakamatsu’s outburst, Kagami took a few more seconds to process Aomine’s words. “Wait. _We_? What do you mean, _we_?” 

“Isn’t it obvious? My prize for winning.” 

_Oh, fuck. He better not say something along the lines of--_

“We’ll spend the whole day in between the sheets, if you catch my drift.” Aomine licked his lips and unashamedly gave Kagami a once over.

_\--Oh my god, I might actually murder this man._

Seeing Kagami’s murderous aura, Aomine simply chuckled. “Calm down, it was a joke.” Aomine shrugged as if to say, _Oh well, I tried_. “Obviously, the real prize is a date.”

 _Joke, my ass!_ Kagami had to reboot his mind before replying, “Aw, hell no! You can’t _pay_ me to date you! Forget it!”

“Oh? What’s this? I didn’t realize that you were the type of man who would go back on your word.” Aomine gave an exaggerated sigh. “I guess I was right in thinking that you weren’t anything special after all. What a waste of time.” Shrugging, he turned around and started walking slowly back towards the club entrance. “I suppose it was nice getting to see your club improve a little before you all go under and close your doors forever.”

Just as Aomine’s hand touched the club’s door handle, Kagami called out, “Wait!” Kagami could feel his veins pop and was visibly shaking before he threw his hands up, “Whatever, fine! _Fine_! It’s _only_ a date, right?”

Immediately Aomine turned back around and smirked, “Good boy. Was that so hard?”

Taking in Aomine’s sudden shift in behavior, Kagami had the realization that he actually ended up agreeing in the heat of the moment. _What just... Did I just get played?!_

“I’ll pick you up at your apartment on Saturday, and make sure to wear something decent that won’t embarrass me being seen with you in public. Don’t forget, _Tora-chan_!”

“ _Why the **fuck** do you know where I **live** , you--!_”

He threw his thumb over his shoulder, “Satsuki.” She had the audacity to wink this time.

_I should have known. These people are trying to kill me._

“Oh, and Kagamin? Please make sure Riko-chan is ready for our date too~!”

“Y-your... date...?” She nods. “With... with the Owner?!” She nods with more vigor.

“Yup! You see, you two aren’t the only ones who made a bet based on your results. Let her know I’ll pick her up at her apartment Saturday too!”

“O-oh... That’s.... Gre... Great...” Kagami managed to ground out. “G-good for... you...” The edges of Kagami’s vision were starting to darken and he could feel his consciousness fading.

_I take it back. These people aren’t just trying to kill me, they **are** going to kill me. Along with the Owner when I... tell her... Oh god._

Kagami doesn’t actually remember how he got home after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Gap moe from my understanding means seeing something that differs from how a character is/how a character acts. For example, a tough looking delinquent who gets in fights all the time, but expresses love of flowers.
> 
> [2] From my understanding, hosts take turns standing outside their club and try to talk to people that pass by in an attempt to gather more business. I have no idea if they are allowed to do what I made Kagami do here though. xD
> 
> I struggled to find new ways to make Kagami a better host, without making him out of character that is suddenly able to seduce anything that moves. Hopefully, it's kind of believable? I may come back to this chapter and edit that part later.


End file.
